WEBVTT SCOTT SIMMONS HAS SOME NEWINFORMATION ABOUT WHAT ISHAPPENING IN THAT SITE IN PEARL.SCOTT: ANOTHER BUMP IN THE ROADFOR OPERATORS AT CHRISTMASWONDERLAND.THEY WERE PLANNING TO OPENTODAY, BUT STATE FIRE MARSHAL'SHAD A QUESTION ABOUT, LIGHTSOURCES -- ABOUT LIGHT SOURCES,SO NOW THEY CANNOT OPEN UNTILWEDNESDAY MORNING.THEY HAD PROBLEMS SETTING UP THEICE.THEY HOPE TO HAVE THESE ISSUESSET UP AND CONTINUE TO DRAWTHOUSANDS IN THE NEXT FEWMONTHS.FOR MIA MARBLE, THE TEMPORARYPEARL SKATING RINK OPENING IS ACHANCE OF A LIFETIME.>> THERE ARE NOT MANY TIMES YOUCAN ICE SKATE IN MISSISSIPPI.THERE IS NOT MANY PLACES YOU CANGO TO ICE SKATE.SCOTT: SHE IS ONE OF ANESTIMATED 300,000 PLUS SKATERSEXPECTED TO HIT THE ICE THROUGHTHE HOLIDAY SEASON AT TRUSTMARKPARK.ALINDA JOHNSON ADMITS SHE HASNEVER SKATED BEFORE.>> FIT MAKES ME WANT TO GET OUTAND LEARN.SCOTT: YOU HAVE NOT SKATEDBEFORE?>> NEVER.SCOTT: BUT YOU CAME OUT ANYWAY.>> RIGHT.>> [LAUGHTER]SCOTT: IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OFYEARS SINCE THERE HAS BEEN ARINK IN THE METRO.MADISON HAD A TEMPORARY ONE THATDREW HUGE CROWDS, BUT CONSTANTLYBATTLED THE ELEMENTS AND TRYINGTO MAINTAIN ICE, OUTSIDE IN THEDEEP SOUTH.THAT IS WHY OPERATORS IN PEARLPUT THEIR RINK INSIDE A TENT.>> ABSOLUTELY.IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE DIDTHE TENT.FIRST OF ALL IT CREATES A BETTERENVIRONMENT FOR FAMILIES TO HANGOUT, STAY AND ENJOY THEMSELVES, BUT IT ALSO HELPS US WITH THEICE.THERE IS NO CHANCE UNLESS WEHAVE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THEWEATHER CAN NOT STOP US FROMSKATING OR SLIDING.SCOTT: OPERATORS RAN INTO A BITOF A PROBLEM OVER THE WEEKENDAND HAD TO BRING IN NEW CHILLINGEQUIPMENT BEFORE THEY COULD GETTHE ICE IN PLACE FOR TUESDAY.THE TEMPERATURE IN THE TENT WILLALWAYS BE AT LEAST 10 DEGREESCOOLER THAN WHAT IS OUTSIDE.THERE ARE ICE SLIDES, SKATES FORRENT, AND CONCESSIONS.>> WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYTHING LIKETHIS IN YEARS IN THE METRO AREA.WE WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING FORFAMILIES, PROMOTING A HOLIDAYEVENT AT HOME, PROMOTINGBUSINESS AND TRAFFIC TO THEMETRO AREA.SCOTT: SO CHRISTMAS WONDERLANDNOT OPERATING TONIGHT.THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICEIS EXPECTED TO COME OUT HERETOMORROW MORNING, AND HOPEFULLYSIGN OFF ON THE EXIT LIGHTS IN

The Pearl fire marshal shut down Christmas Wonderland hours after it opened Tuesday.The temporary ice rink opened Tuesday morning in the parking lot of Trustmark Park in Pearl. It was originally scheduled to open Sunday, but problems with equipment delayed the opening until Tuesday. Operators faced another delay late Tuesday afternoon, when the fire marshal said the lights on the exit doors were not on the same power source.Operators said they fixed the problem and were awaiting an inspection from the fire marshal Wednesday morning.Operators are expecting about 300,000 people to visit the skating rink before it closes on Jan. 6.It’s been a few years since an ice skating rink opened in the metro. Christmas On Ice operated in Madison, but it was outdoors, which was hard to manage with Mississippi’s sometimes warm winter weather. The skating rink in Pearl is under a tent with equipment that keeps the ice from melting.Visitors will be able to rent skates for the rink, ride down an ice slide or enjoy some time on inflatables. Operators said they opened Christmas Wonderland because they saw that the demand was there.“We haven’t had anything like this in years in the metro area. We wanted something that promoted families, so having a holiday event here at home that will promote traffic here to the metro area … why not?” Elizabeth Hal, with Christmas Wonderland, said. Christmas Wonderland is open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday and noon to 11 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The temporary ice rink opened Tuesday morning in the parking lot of Trustmark Park in Pearl. It was originally scheduled to open Sunday, but problems with equipment delayed the opening until Tuesday. Operators faced another delay late Tuesday afternoon, when the fire marshal said the lights on the exit doors were not on the same power source.

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Operators said they fixed the problem and were awaiting an inspection from the fire marshal Wednesday morning.

Operators are expecting about 300,000 people to visit the skating rink before it closes on Jan. 6.

It’s been a few years since an ice skating rink opened in the metro. Christmas On Ice operated in Madison, but it was outdoors, which was hard to manage with Mississippi’s sometimes warm winter weather. The skating rink in Pearl is under a tent with equipment that keeps the ice from melting.

Visitors will be able to rent skates for the rink, ride down an ice slide or enjoy some time on inflatables. Operators said they opened Christmas Wonderland because they saw that the demand was there.

“We haven’t had anything like this in years in the metro area. We wanted something that promoted families, so having a holiday event here at home that will promote traffic here to the metro area … why not?” Elizabeth Hal, with Christmas Wonderland, said.

Christmas Wonderland is open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday and noon to 11 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.